Codnor Community Primary School Church of England Controlled

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 February 2026

Pupils enjoy attending the school. The school has a genuine community spirit. Pupils experience nurturing relationships with staff who know them well. This helps pupils feel rooted in the school community. Parents and carers also feel a genuine sense of belonging to the school community. However, sometimes leaders do not identify pupils’ needs and any barriers to their learning quickly or accurately enough. As a result, some pupils do not receive the right support, and this limits their achievement. Pupils behave well and attend school regularly. They are polite and respectful and work hard. Staff place a high priority on pupils’ wellbeing. Staff support pupils effectively when they need help to manage their emotions or when they have worries. Pupils feel safe at school because poor behaviour, such as bullying, is rare. The school’s values and ‘Codnor Stars’ are important to pupils. Pupils try to ‘shine their light’ and celebrate their talents. For example, pupils' instrumental lessons culminate in a grand performance. The school broadens pupils’ interests and develops their skills through a range of extra-curricular activities and clubs. Pupils take part in many sports and competitions and proudly display their awards. Pupils know it is important to ‘take responsibility’ for their actions. They support their community through their many leadership roles. For example, reading advocates help younger pupils practise their reading and share their love of books. Pupils enjoy learning the school’s ambitious curriculum. They achieve increasingly well so the majority of pupils leave well prepared for secondary school. However, in the early years, too many children do not get off to a positive start with their schooling. They do not gain the knowledge they need to be ready for the next stage of their education.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should identify pupils' needs and any barriers to learning more quickly and accurately, including in the early years. They should ensure that pupils receive consistently effective support that meets their needs and reduces barriers to their learning.
• Leaders should ensure that staff in the early years teach the curriculum more effectively. They should ensure that staff in the early years engage children in high-quality interactions and adapt learning to meet children's development needs.
• Leaders should develop a more rigorous approach to evaluating the quality of provision and ensure that the actions they take to improve provision have demonstrable impact.
• Governors should ensure that they have a broad and deep knowledge of the quality of the school's provision. They should use this knowledge to provide school leaders with effective and rigorous support and challenge.
• Leaders should ensure that the school has a consistent and effective approach to securing the fundamentals of writing, particularly handwriting.
• Leaders should analyse attendance data more rigorously to identify the reasons for low attendance and secure swift improvement.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)